Ice-cream-brick cutter



March I7, 1925. 1,530,465

. c. J. ERlcKsoNi- Ic camu BRICK cuwm Filed oct. 2Q, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 MMM am.,

I I I I I I I I nl ll'llllllll'lllll 1,530,465 C. J.y ERICKSON rcs camu nrcx .cunnn Filed ot. 2o, 1.925 4 1Silente-Sheet 2 March l1, 1925.

gwuefntoz (W4/f1 E5 J. ffm/50m i- I A @www Marcin 1925.

C. J. ERICKSON ICE CREAM BRICK CUTTER Filed Oct. 20. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Wwf. W

March 17, 1925. 'l 1,530,465

C. J. ERICKSON IGEVCREAM BRICK CUTTER I Filed oct. 2o, 192:5 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /V/Z'A/ESSES Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

' v CHARLESNJ, narcxson, or sA-,LTILAK-E CITY, Umm

Animation` ,flied ydominer fao, was;v serial. No; 569,346.:

To @ZZy whom. it mag/ concern:

Beit knownthat I, CHARLES J, Erickson,

a. citizenbt, the United lStates, residingat- Salt LakefCity,.inthecountyof Salt Lake and State of Utah, have-invented certain tion, isto.'t provjidean iinprcnzed,machine,` which wlllwquicklygv-and expeditiously cut, Ice cream into bricks with a minimumY amountof labor ony thefpart'of the operator. ofthemachine.

Another prime object of. ,theinventionfis the vprovision oi novelfkmeans for feeding. the blocks of ice' creamvto the cuttingmecha.-t nism forcutting the'gsa'ijd blocks oi ice creamy intoi bricks, ande novel means for adjusting the cutting mechanism relative Yto the means for receiving the bricks office cream. l

A- further prime object vof the invention is theiprovisiony of` novelfmeans for. .permitting the adjustment off ,the machina-,whereby diffl ferentesized,brickscan -be cut. f

Al furtherk prime object; of the-r invention is the f provision of'fnovcl, meansgffor; deliverf. ing the bricks oficream cutl ,one-l atqga time, to a conveyorz belt, whichdsadapted. toy convey the bricks to'y the 4W'ralgping;talole.

A further. prime: f object ot i the, invention is'y the; provision tof: ,ay novel cutting mecha,- nism Jfor theliceqcrea-m which embodies a pairfof matingzrec'iprocatoryr -knivesaadapted to iengageethe'blocks off-icevv icreaml`v tof bey cut at opposite'` points, and@ novel;V means -fon syn? chronously operating the knives.4 5 A; .further obect Lofi Ithe invention, is ,the provisions of'novelrmansnfon synchronously operating thel cutting? knives .fandirthefmeans for` deliveringfthe cut'ibrcks- Ytofthe ,conveyor b'elt, whereby` 'immediately a-terfthe :cutting of:` the. brick, the= samewll be; delivered, to tli'econveyorbelt;

vfstiiivfurtherfobj ectirogff the finvent'ionf iseto provide an improved machine 'oncutting brick: ice cream'ofz the,l above character, which willi-bei 1durable .and eiiicient insuse,y one? that willfbe.` simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can fbef-, placed-upon; `thenlarlt atlaismall cost;Y f

invention: ccmsistsfzinfr -tilefimnel,y constuuctien, larra'ngementz* and .r'orrmatlm'nof;,fpjmqtsq` leeuw-1,11

bei-hereinafter more specifically described,

claimed, and illustrated in the ,accompanying.l drawings, A in ywhich drawings: Y i

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the: improved ice cream brick. cutter.

Figure 2 is alongitudinal section through the: same -taken onthe line 2 2 of. Figure I1.. Figure is a longitudinal section throughr theimproved device taken onl the line 3-3 ofl Figure, 1 and illustrating the cutting` mechanismgandthe,means for delivering the cutbricks to the conveyor belt, and

Figure iis. agtransverse 'section' through the. improvedmachine taken on the lineY lil-4 of Figure 1.

Referring., tok theV drawings yin detail,

wherein, similar ,reference characters designatel corresponding parts throughout the several views, theletter A generally indicat es., the improved machine, which comprises a casing orframe 10, which is adapted to beplacedupona suitable supporting table or ther like 11.y This table 11 embodies a top 12 and'suitable, supportinglegs*13.l If so desired, .the tablell canbe made of a relativegreat size, and themachineAv arranged at one vend thereof, lso as to permit the opposite. end of they table to be used as means for; wrapping. the cut bricks. v

Intherdrawingsl have vshown means for simultaneously` cutting two, blocks of ice creamlintobricks,.but it is to be understood,

.that the Imachine can bemade. tol cut only a single blockjoirice creamgintobricks at one Cil fThe; improved: icecream cutter 10,` as f Stated'-v includes,thefcasing 0r, yframe 1,0 `which embodies sidewalls andfat'op wall 15, andthe top walhlinthis instance, ispro-` vided with a guide 16.01; v eaclii'side of .its longitudinal; :center fory ,receivingF the blocks of vicef creamtof be cut. Arranged. directly below eachguide1162is,afnovel cutting mechv anisrnY thercut brick guiding ymeans 18 andthe conveyor belt 191 'Ehe cutting, ,guidingand conveying means. arranged' below each, guidelfare of. .identicallythe same construction and-Ithereiforea description of one is deemed suflicient for, bothq- Arrangedlongitudinally within Qtherame or, :casing:- 10,. below and y between the @guides 16\- for: Ithe blocks of. ice f creamj to ,be cut is the main drive shaft 20, which is operatively c onnectedfdn, anypreierred way such as birichina-medium@121111657521.ndinelf guide boards 28.

ley belt 22, with the armature shaft 23 of electric motor 24. W'hile l have shown the electric motor 24 for operating the drive shaft 20, it is to be understood that any other means can be provided for operating the same. The shaft 2O is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 25 carried by a slide table 26, the longitudinal edges of which are slidably mounted within guideways 27 formed in the inner faces of the side walls 14 of the frame or casing 10.

The slide table 26 on each side of the shaft 20 is provided with a pair of upstanding guide boards 28 which are disposed directly below the guide chute 16. Below the guide boa-rds 28 the slide table 26 is provided with an elongated opening 29 for permitting the dropping of the bricks of ice cream cut onto the conveyor belts 19. At the outer end of each pair of guide boards 28 is disposed an upright supporting plate 30 which adjustably supports the means for guiding the bricks of ice cream out onto the conveying mechanism 19.

The cutting mechanism 17 disposed below each of the guide chutes 16 includes a pair of reciprocatory mating knives 31 and 32 which are slidably mounted in guide grooves 33 formed in the inner faces of the The outer ends of the mating cutting knives 31 and 32 have pivotally connected thereto oppositely extending pitman rods 34 which are in turn connected to crank wheels 35. These crank wheels 35 are keyed or otherwise secured to driven shafts 36 which are rotatably mounted in pairs of bearings 37. The bearings 37 are bolted or otherwise secured to the slide table 26 at each end of the guide boards 2S. Each of the driven shafts 36 is provided with worin wheels 38 which mesh with worms 39 keyed or otherwise secured to the longitudinally extending drive shaft 20l i It is obvious from'this construction that as the blocks of ice cream are fed through the guides 16 that the mating knives 31 and 32 will be synchronously operated to engage the block on each side thereof for cutting the same into bricks.

The slide table 26 can be slid longitudinally within the frame or casing 10 in order to permit the initial adjusting of the knives 3l and 32 and the guide boards 28 relative vto the guide chutes 16, and in order to bring about the adjustment of the slide table 26 adjusting screws 40 are connected with one end of the table and these screws extend through a suitable end piece 51 secured to the side walls 14 of the frame or casing 10. An adjusting nut 42 is mounted upon each adjusting screw 40 for bearing against the cleat 41.

The means 18 provided for guiding the bricks cut by the mating knives 31 and 32 consist of a supporting platform 45, which is hingedly connected at its inner end to suitable supporting bolts 46. These bolts 46 are slidably mounted in guides 47 formed in the supporting plate 30, and it is obvious that by moving the bolts 46 in the slots 47 that the position of the platform 45 can be adjusted relative to the cutting knives 31 and 32, so that the desired size of bricks can be cut. The bolts 46 can be held in any desired adjusted position by means of suitable thumb nuts 48 threaded on the said bolts which are adapted to impinge against the supporting plate 30.

The platform 45 has pivotally connected thereto at a point intermediate its ends a link 49, which has its lower end pivotally connected to a reciprocating operating rod 50. The lower end of the operating rod 56 carries a roller 51 which is adapted to engage a cam 52 keyed'or otherwise secured to a transversely extending shaft 53. This shaft 53. is rotatably carried by a pair of depending brackets 54 secured to the lower surface of the slide table 26. These brackets 54 also support guides 55 for the reciprocating slide rods 50. It is to be understood that there are two cam wheels 52 secured to the shaft 53 and that there is a platform 45disposed below each guide chute and under the pairs of mating knives 31 and 32.

The shaft 53 has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a sprocket wheel 56 around which is trained a sprocket chain 57. This sprocket chain 57 is also trained about a sprocket wheel 59 keyed or otherwise secured to one of the driven shafts 36. By this construction, it can be seen that the cams 52 are operated synchronously with the pairs of cutting knives 31 and 32. The cams 52 are so constructed that the platforms are held in a raised position during the cutting strokes of the pairs of knives 31 and 32 but are lowered after the cutting strokes of the knives topermit the bricks i of ice cream cut to fall on the conveying mechanism 19.

A conveying mechanism 19 is arranged below each platform 45 and includes an endless belt 60 which is trained about a roller 62 secured to the shaft 53. These conveyor belts 61 are adapted to leadto the forward end of the table top 12 in order that the bricks of ice cream can be conveniently grasped by persons to permit the wrapping up thereof.

In operation of the improved machine, the blocks of ice cream to be cut are placed into the guides 16 and the machine isset in operation. The pairs of knives 31 and 32 reciprocating back and forth will effectively cut the blocks of ice cream into the mechanism 19, where the same are carried to the wrapping room.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and novel machine for expeditiously cutting blocks of ice cream into the desired size bricks with a minimum amountA platform carried by the slide table, means for cutting the blocks of ice cream'into bricks disposed. between the platform and the chute carried by said slide table and including` a pair of reciprocatory mating cutting knives, and means for adjusting the slide table longitudinally relative to the guide chute.y

2. In a machine for cutting blocks of ice cream into bricks of a predetermined size, a casing including side walls and a top wall, a pair of spaced guide .chutes for receiving the blocks of ice cream carried by the top wall, a slide table mounted within the casing and supported by the side walls thereof mounted for movement longitudinally of the guide chutes, a longitudinally extending drive shaft disposed at the longitudinal center of the vslide table, means for operating the drive shaft, pairs of longitudinally extending guide boards carried by the slide table and disposed below the guide chutes, pairs of reciprocatory cutting knives carried by each pair of guide boards, an adjustable pivoted supported platform disposed below each pair of cutting knives, driven shafts carried by the slide table and disposed vat each end ofthe pairs of guide boards, means operatively connecting the driven shafts with the driven shaft, means operatively connecting the driven shafts with the pairs'of cutting knives, a transversely extending driven shaft arranged below the slide table, a pair of cam wheels secured to the transversely extending driven y shaft, a pair of slide rods carried by the slide table arranged to engage the caml wheels, and links operatively connecting the slide rods with the pivoted platforms. 3. In a machine for cutting blocks of ice cream into bricks,.a guide for receiving` blocks of` ice cream to be cut, a pivoted platform arranged below and in spaced relation to the guide, cutting mechanism disposed intermediate the guide andpla'tform for cutting the blocks 'of ice-cream into bricks, a conveyor belt arranged below the platform, and means for tipping the platform toward said conveyor belt after a brick of ice-cream has been cut from the block of ice-cream by the cutting mechanism including a cam wheeladisposedl below the platform, 'an operating rod engaging the periphery of the cam, anda link pivotally connected to the operating rod and to the platform at a point remote from its pivot.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

oHARLEs J. ERICKSON.

Witnesses:

GUSTAVE H. BACKMAN, MILTON V. BACKMAN. 

